Fountain s



` FOUNTAIN sx1-imm, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELEVATOR-CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 605,471, dated June '14, 1898. Application inea January 25,1893. jsrairaeeasm. (No moan.)-

provement in Elevator-Controllers, of which v the following is a specification.

' in the cylinder.

The inventionl relates to that class of iinprovements in elevators in which the act of opening the shaft-door clamps the hand-rope through a train of lnechanism and prevents operating the hoisting mechanism until the door is again closed and the hand-rope released.

The object of this invention is to simplify the mechanism, while aording a reliable, positive, and uniform grip on the rope, inde-` pendent ot' the force exerted in opening the door.

lt consists, essentially, of a clamp carried on the car and inclosing the rope betweenl its jaws, actuated by the movement of a piston in a cylinder alsocarried on the carand receiving pressure from a reservoir which may be at a distant point connected to the cylinder through a iiexible tube or hose, and means for admitting the pressure to the cylinder by the act of opening the shattdoor.v l prefer to use compressed air admitted to and exhausted from the cylinder through a suitable valve, requiring but little force tooperate it and consequently offering but little resistance to the motion of the shaft-door, while the force exerted upon the rope bythe clamp is entirely independent of such movement and is wholly determined bythe pressure received form and may be regulated by increasing or diminishing the normal pressure in the reser-4 voir. i Y

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show the manner in which l have carried out the invention.

Figure 1 is .a frontelevationV of a carequipped in accordance with my invention.

Certainportions are omitted for clearness.,

The force is practically uni-'v` vhold the jaws normally open.

door and its connections in elevation. Fig. 4c is a front elevation of the upper portion of the car and its mechanism. sectional views showing certain details of construction. y a l Similar letters of` reference indicate the same parts in all tlie'iigures. y

.A is a passenger-elevator of any ordinary or approved construction, guidedl vertically in the shaft B by the ways B/ and raised and lowered by any suitable hoisting ropes and 'mechanism (not shown) controlled by the hand-rope A", passing through4 the car, as usual. i

B2 is the sha ft-door, sliding horizontally at' the landing in ways. (Not shown.) The-arrangement at each landing is similar and description of one will sufce.

On thel top of the car is mounted the cylinder C, receiving compressed air behind the rectly or from a moving part of thehoisting mechanism. From the front of the piston D y extends arod D', suitably guided and carry- Figs. 5 and 6 are ing at itsend a block D2, having a vertical semicylindrical groove d and forming with the fixed block D3,having a similar groove, a pair of clampingfjaws partly inclosing the hand-rope A. The movable jaw Dzslidesin the ways D4, carrying the fixed jaw D3 and` A spring firmly secured to the top of the car. D,5 within the cylinder exerts its force in the direction to move the piston. backward and E is a three-way cock placed inthepipe C .at any convenient point adjacent to the cylinder. lThe plug E is turnedby the arm E2 from the horizontally vibrating lever E4 through the link E3; Theports are so arranged (see Fig. 6) thata quarter-turn of the plug admits air-pressure behind the piston and the reverse movement shuts oft the sup ply and allows the compressed air in the eyl-l inder to escape through the opening e.

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lever E4 turns on a iXed center`E5 and is subject to the force of a spring E6, tending to move it in the direction to exhaust the cylinder, such motion being limited by the fixed stop A2. -On the overhung end of the lever is a vertical face-plate E7, by which the lever is moved in opposition to its spring through means to be now described.

On the upper portion of the framing carrying the door B2 and within the shaft is mounted a lever F, the lower arm carrying a roller F and the upper arm joined to one end of a lilik F2, connected at the other to a projecting lug G2 on a cam device serving to change the motion angularly, so that it acts against the plate E7, above described. This device consists of a cylindrical casing divided on a spiral line, one portion, G, fixed to the framing and the other, G', carrying the lug G2, rotatable relatively thereto by the motion of the link F2. Through the axis extends a rod H, the outer end of which carries a roller H, lying in the path of the plate E7, and the other squared to match to a similarly-shaped extension G3 of the fixed portion G, in which it may slide, but is held against rotation. The movable portion G rests against the shoulder'h on the rod and when partially rotated travels up the spiral, thus forcing the rod and its roller H' outwardly, or, rather, inwardly relatively to the shaft. This rotative motion is transmitted from the lever F and is received by the latter from the movement of the door B2 in the direction to open it. The door carries along its top edge a track or Way B3, curved downwardly at B4 adjacent to the roller F' and lying in such relation thereto that as the door is moved in the direction to open it the curve B4 strikes the roller and begins to turn the lever F, the turning continuing until the roller lies upon the horizontal portion B3 of the track and travels idly thereon f as the door is moved farther without causing further movement of the lever. When the car is stopped with its floor approximately level with the landing, the plate E7 lies adjacent to and in the line of motion of the rod H, and as the latter is thrust outward from its casing by the act of opening the door its roller strikes the plate and turns the lever E4, which through the link E2 and arm E2 communicates the motion to the plug E', as above described, and admits pressure behind the piston and closes the clamp. The parts are so proportioned that a full quarter-turn is given to the plug and the full pressure is immediately felt by the jaws D2 D3 and handrope A. While thus held, the rope cannot be moved relatively to the car, and consequently the latter cannot be started in either direction. On closing the door the parts assume their normal positions, reversing the plug E and allowing the air behind the piston D to escape. The piston is immediately forced backward by the spring D5, carrying with it the jaw D2, and thus the rope is again liberated, allowing the operator through its medium to start the hoisting mechanism.

The plate E7 is given considerable vertical length, so that the roller H will be sure tol find it even though the car-fioor and landing be not exactly in the same plane. The upper and lower portions of the plate are curved backward, as shown, and serve to strike the roller and actuate the clamp if by accident or design one of the shaft-doors should be opened from its landing and not closed before the passage of the car.

The flexible portion C2 of the pipe C allows the free travel of the car without interrupting the communication with the reservoir C3. The latter may be equipped with a safetyvalve loaded to a predetermined pressure, which will lift when that pressure is exceeded and thus tend to maintain a constant pressure while the pump is running.

Modifications may be made Without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing its advantages.

The train of mechanism from the door to the cylinder may be varied within wide limits or other means substituted, and other means for controlling the admission and exhaust may be employed in place of the three-way cock shown.

Although l have described the invention as using air-pressure, it will be understood that other gases or fluids under pressure will serve successfully.

f I claim- In an elevator-controller of the character herein set forth, a clamp carried by the car and adapted to grasp and hold the operatingrope, a cylinder also carried by the car and receiving pressure, a piston mounted in said cylinder and moved by said pressure to actuate said clamp, and mechanism operated by the door in opening and closing, controlling the admission of pressure to said cylinder, so that the operating-rope will be clamped when said door is open and released when closed, all combined and arranged to serve substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth l affix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

FOUNTAIN S. BRAID. lVitnesses:

RoBT. CONNOR, P. E. CULLIN.

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